Andrew Sullivan’s Gag Order
A few weeks ago, I chastised Mitt Romney for responding to Tim Russert’s question about the past racial policies of the Mormon Church by highlighting his father’s opposition to Barry Goldwater. While I disagree with his depiction of Goldwater, Romney was perfectly correct to stress that he should be judged on his own record, rather than the former policies of his denomination.
Of course, Russert was not the first to bring up the issue of the Mormon Church’s views on African Americans. In 2006, Andrew Sullivan wrote a hysterical piece attacking past Mormon racism and Romney’s connection to this dark history. Sullivan’s guilt-by-association attack went as far as quoting Brigham Young and then stating that Romney attended Brigham Young University.
Sullivan inveighed:
“I don’t know if Romney has addressed the question of Mormon racism in its historical practices, or whether he has a record of opposing it in his twenties, when he was a missionary for a racist church. But it strikes me as a matter that will require addressing.”
For Sullivan, Mormons are so uniquely bad that “the only sect I can think of as equivalent is the Nation of Islam—in reverse.”
This last part is interesting, because Barack Obama’s black nationalist church is finally coming under some scrutiny because of its connection to Louis Farrakhan’s Muslim organization. This week it was reveled that Obama’s minister and mentor—and the man who coined “the audacity of hope”—Rev. Jeremiah A. Wright Jr., presented Farrakhan with a lifetime achievement award.
Richard Cohen wrote a column in the Washington Post on Farrakhan’s anti-Semitism (but not his anti-white racism) and urged that Obama officially denounce the Nation of Islam leader (which he has subsequently done.)
Now if Romney must distance himself from every single Mormon who ever uttered a politically incorrect word, one would think that Andrew Sullivan wouldn’t have a problem with Cohen’s request. Instead he went ballistic, calling the column “disgraceful” and complained that
“If Obama has to disown a man he has never had anything to do with and a man whose toxic racist politics Obama has consistently and continuously opposed with all his might, then every black candidate is forced to jump through Cohen’s petty little racist litmus test. They’re all guilty of anti-Semitism until proved innocent.”
To Sullivan, Romney must be scrutinized for being born into a large religious denomination whose leaders made statements over a hundred years ago he doesn’t like and once had policies he objects to. In contrast, it is beyond reproach to be concerned with the views of a church Obama joined as an adult and a minister to whom he accredits his Christian faith and describes as his “sounding board.”
Calling this a double standard would be too generous.
***Editor’s Note: See Evan McLaren’s excellent post on mainstream conservative’s timidity with regard to Obama’s church from yesterday’s edition***
Comments
I am pleased to note that Obama’s relationship with a radical black nationalist movement is finally getting some degree of attention, however tardy and attenuated.
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Personally, these smears are just hypocrisy. It’s like columnists and bloggers forgot that most whites had a low opinion of black people and other races for much of American history. Yes, the Mormons had an official race policy - but how many white folks honestly disagreed with it before the 1980s?
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did anyone see Larry O donnels anti mormon freakout on Mcglaughlin group? It was awful, just awful. But that is liberalism now a days. they don’t stand for much of anything so they are just blindly trying to be politically correct wherever they see the oppurtunity.
One of out local radio hosts here in boston made an interesting observation about mormons that alot of people from very venerated relgions are actually jerks, but mormonism which has a kind of messed up ideology and background, somehow produces uniformly nice people.
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LESTER -
that was a very good point by your local radio guy. I have noticed the exact same thing. Mormonism is pretty creepy and whacky as a creed, but except for one total prick of an officer in my old reserve unit, I have found mormons to be the most uniformly honest and pleasant people I have ever dealt with. weird
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Well, Mr. Epstein might have a point that there is a double standard, but I am not sure the answer is to bash Obama in the media until, as Andrew Sullivan puts it, he passes some “petty little racist litmus test” where he has to denounces Rev. Wright and renounce his church. I disagree with Obama on a lot things, but I do not believe he is anti-White (btw, his mother is white) or anti-Semitic, and, whatever unseemly views Rev. Wright holds, I doubt they reflect much upon the way Obama practices his faith.
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Since when is it a bad thing to be disgusted by Negroes? Now, I don’t mean ALL Negroes, but Negroes in general? If/when I “pre-judge” a Negro, it is not because I have had no prior dealings with them, but exactly because I HAVE! Does this make me a “racist”? Of course not. I do not hold any beliefs regarding the “race” of the Negro, but I do hold beliefs regarding his “culture” (sic). The same goes for any other “race” or ethnic group of
people.
If someone claims to not “pre-judge”, then ask him why he doesn’t live in the Negro ghetto? If everyone deserves a “fair shake”, then why are you denying the Negro in the ghetto a “fair shake” at proving his civility towards you?
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I don’t care if Obama prefers blacks but he should be honest about it. I prefer the company of my own race (the white race) and prefer not to associate with blacks and mestizos. I don’t hate other races and am on friendly terms with them. I just prefer my own.
http://www.nationalpolicyinstitute.org/
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Sally: I think you might be right. There could be a hidden motive to Sullivan’s attack on Romney’s Mormonism, perhaps tied to Mormonism’s stance against homosexuality and gay marriage.
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<<I prefer the company of my own race (the white race)>>
Too bad there’s no such thing, “Paleo Peter”...It makes as much sense to talk about the “Black race” as it does the “White race”. Neither exist. There are dozens and dozens of “races” in Africa, just as there are dozens and dozens of “races” in Europe. By the “White race”, you probably mean the mix of what has become the “White race” in America, a bunch of mongrels. There is a noticable difference between the English, the Irish/Scots, the Germans, the Norwegians, the French, the Spanish, the Polish, the Russian, etc. in Europe. Try going there sometime, you might learn something.
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Did I miss a meeting? Since when is Mr. Obama any more black/Negro than white? Mr. Obama’s father was from Africa and his mother is a “white” person from the US. Doesn’t that make him 50% each? If Mr. Obama is elected President, won’t he be our first “half-black” or “half-white” president? So why is he always characterized as black instead of white? Because of the old racist view that even one drop of “negro” blood is enough to taint one with that label?
As it turns out, that indeed was the standard in Romney’s pre-1978 Mormonism. One drop of the “cursed lineage” was enough to disqualify a “black” man from the Priesthood. I am an ex-Mormon who served a Mormon mission in Brazil pre-1978 and am sorry I did not have the guts to denounce the racist policies at that time. But I denounce them now and call upon Romney to do the same. But instead, he chooses to stick with the “faith of his fathers.” I don’t. I chose to denounce the faith of my fathers when I perceive it to be unjust.
But, by the way, Mormons ARE nice people. I am dating one even though I am ex-Mormon. It is the church leaders and the bad policies that I denounce. I would respect Romney more if he would do the same instead of bad mouthing Goldwater.
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Negroes accept miscegenation, along with many native American tribes, whereas other races do not.
That is the reason Osama is a Negro; the Negroes accept a man with a “White” mother, whereas “Whites” do not accept a man with a “Negro” father.
Is that racist? You better believe it. But the average Democrat is as racist as David Duke but doesn’t want to admit it. That’s why they call Osama “articulate” and “handsome” and “intelligent”. He’s no more articulate, handsome, or intelligent than John Edwards. But Osama will win the hearts of most Democrat voters because he’s a Negro. Democrats are all about minority identity politics.
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“ But Osama will win the hearts of most Democrat voters because he’s a Negro. Democrats are all about minority identity politics.” - Andrew Capp
Actually, Democrat voters are as bigoted as anyone but won’t admit it and will lie to pollsters. If Obama is the nominee, you will see a major “Bradley effect” with Obama polling far better than he actually does in the real election. This has already been evident in New Hampshire. Obama is probably the only presidential candidate whom the Republicans might beat. I am not saying they will beat him because they have screwed things up so badly and have such bad candidates themselves, but they have a shot.
Edwards would have been the strongest Democratic candidate (white, southern, articulate, and good looking) but he won’t get the party nomination. Hillary with her appeal to the feminist female electorate, would be formidable despite her high negatives. All Obama does is nail down the votes of blacks and liberals, who always vote for the Democrats anyway.
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“negreos accept blah blah blah”
bringing back some of the OLD material mr Andy Capp?
chubzz- it was michael graham (radio host)
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This entire discussion of who has the best religion ....in this country ....where religion has flourished at least partially because of secularism.....where churches are still routinely full and in some places growing.... despite a popular culture that would make a Weimar Whore Blush...well, it’s truly bulls**t and anyone who engages in it should be ignored.
Having lived amongst the acolytes of Treasure Seekin Joe, seer, prophet and revelator for many years, I was continually judged by the faithful but was far from ill-treated. In fact, if I have one complaint, aside from the omnipotence of Mormonism EVERYWHERE in the Mountain West...from the Ward Houses on Every Block to the Banks, Newspapers and Television Stations....on up to that Triumph of Post Soviet Socialist Architecture gleaming along the beltway of the Imperial City of Washington ... it is that they’re too damned nice......unremittingly polite and this gets on my nerves dammit. Must be why I like this web site.
To be certain though, Mormonism, like every other religion is entirely too cozy with government and will rue the day they thought it politic to do so....beyond the well-mannered precincts of their Zion along the Wasatch.
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and oh yes, trumping Farrakhan and his Norte Amerikan Mahdi Army, I believe it was none other than the former Black Panther Eldridge Cleaver who embraced the Mormon Faith ...as I recall, right about the time one could see photographs of him modeling a line of custom codpieces he was marketing. I do not know if Brother Cleaver reached the Quorum of Twelve after the LDS jihad against blacks ended but one assumes he had their attention, codpiece or not.
Things used to be a tad more romantically quixotic in this country before we became scared enough to re-elect what may just be, should I dare say it? ....., pardon me but, eh.... the dumbest white man in the history of mankind.
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